Means for cleaning gas cylinders



Jan. 10, 1933. G. T. REICH MEANS FOR CLEANING GAS CYLINDERS Filed Jan. 7,

1927 2 Sheets-Sheet J 0 zlwvmtot:

m Z M MW 1m. 10, 1933. G. T. RglgH 1,893,652

MEANS FOR CLEANING GAS CYLINDERS Filed Jan. 7..'1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 1Q, 1933 v UNITED STATES PATENT oFl-uca GUSTAVE T. REICH, OF ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA MEANS FOR CLEANING GAS CYLINDERS Application filed January 7, 1927. Serial No. 159,683.

This invention relates to cleaning appaceive a plurality of gas cylinders thereon, as ratus for cylinders which are used to store shown. These cylinders are merely placed gases" under pressure. Compressed gases upon the projecting lower shelf and then are sometimes contain small quantities of lubriclamped into place by means of a U shaped 5 cating oil carried over from the compressor, clamp 7, which is pivoted upon the upright or suiphuric acid used for drying purposes, member 2 of the frame. One of these clamps or other foreign matter. These impurities are 7 is pivoted to each end of member 2, to clamp deposited in the gas cylinders, and, if althe cylinders to its corresponding shelf. lowed to accumulate, they become objection- These clamps may swing up to clear the up- 13 able for various reasons. It is necessary, per ends of the cylinders, and when swung therefore, to periodically clean the cylinders down into clamping position, they are reof these deposits and an object of this inventained by the pivoted clips 8. These clips extion is to provide a simple apparatus for tend nearly the full length of the cylinders readily cleaning gas cylinders. and are pivoted to the outside edges of the Another object is to provide apparatus shelves 3 and 4, and have spring tongues 8 whereby a plurality of cylinders may be for engagement with the clamps 7.

simultaneously cleaned and wherein the Against each end of the vertical member manual labor required in handling them is 2 and attached thereto, by pipe clamps 9, are reduced to aminimum. steam pipes 10, having their ends screw- Another object is to provide a new, simple threaded for ready attachment to a source of means of treatment, wherein live steam is Steam supply. A number of branch outlets forced into the cylinders through the safety 11 are connected to steam pipe 10, there being blow-ofi' connections. one branch outlet provided for each cylin- A further object i to provid a novel for der adapted to be cleaned. Each of these of carrier or rack for detachably receiving a ranches terminates in an enlarged head 12 plurality of gas cylinders in position for atin which is seated. a gasket 13, as seen in tachment to steam lines. B ig. 4. These and further objects will be apparent ylinders f this typ e usua ly P -v from the following description taken in con- Vftled with domed tops from which project nection with the accompanying drawings a gas Outlet pipe 15. This pipe has a normal wherein outlet 16 for the gas which is controlled by Fig. 1 is an elevation of the cleaning rack a Valve, and an emergency outlet; 17 This with a plurality of cylinders clamped in posiemergency outlet is usually closed by a ti0n frangible piece of metal held in lace bfy a w Fig 2 i a top i th f screw-threaded, open-ended cap. or sa ety Fig. 3 is an end vi w a d purposes, this emergency outlet 17 is at least Fig. 4 is a detail, partly in section, showg the m l u le 16- It ing the means of clamping the steam line to 13 the p p of this invention to take adth li d vantage of this larger opening to facilitate Referring to the drawings, numeral 1 i the steaming and draining of the cylinders. dicates the gas cylinders, which are shown 0 thls end, each branch steam pipe 11 as mounted on a frame which is substantially has Secured thQIQtO EH1 1 28 1 rectangular Z shaped. This frame comprises a central frame 18 ap e for lamping e gagement vertical member 2, from which extendhori- Wlth the y er Outlet P e llet0 the zontal shelves 3 and 4, these shelves being fact t the mam Steam P P 10 r h ld to placed at opposite ends of the member 2 and the frame 2, by pipe clamps 9, each pipe 10 extending on opopsite sides thereof. may be swung or twisted about its axis, so This frame or carrieris rotatablymounted that the branches 11 may be swun down by bearings 5 from two vertical struts 6. about thepipe clamps 9 as pivots to a ign the Each of the shelves 3 and 4 is adapted to reenlarged heads 12 thereof with the emergency outlets 17 of the cylinders, the frangible disks coverin openings 17 having previously been remove turned forward to firmly press gaskets 13 against outlets 17 to make a steam tight joint, and the row of cylinders is ready to be steamed.

The operation is as follows:

A- row of cylinders to be cleaned is placed upon one of the horizontal shelves, say shelf 3, and their frangible disks are removed. Clamp bar 7 is then drawn down and caught in place by clips 8 and spring tongues 8. Next, the steam pipe 10 is turned and the individual branches 11 lined up with openings 17 in the cylinders, and the clampin screws 19 tightened. The steam pipe 10 is then connected to a source of steam and live steam is forced into the cylinders for the required period of time, depending upon the amount and character of impurities to be removed. After proper steaming, the source of steam is disconnected from pipe 10, clamping screws 19 released and the entire carrier, with its row of cylinders, is rotated 180 about the bearings 5. The cylinders on shelf 3 are now in inverted position, and the condensed steam and foreign matter drains out through openings 17. Another row of cylinders is clamped in place on shelf 4 for steaming. This operation may be continued. It will be seen that the operation of cleaning is simple and may be easily performed by one man. Almost any number of cylinders may be received on such a rack as is shown. By using the safety opening for steaming, wear and tear on the outlet valve is avoided and the cost of labor is greatly reduced.

It will be understood that various changes 'in structure and design may be made without departing from my invention as expressed in the following claims.

I claim 1. An apparatus for washing and cleaning gas cylinders of the type having at one en thereof a normal gas outlet and an emergency outlet, said apparatus comprising a carrier, a pipe mounted thereon, means for detachably securing a cylinder to said carrier, and means for detachably connecting said pipe to one outlet of said cylinder, said carrier being pivoted for movement about a horizontal axis, whereby it may be inverted to allow said cylinder to drain.

2. In apparatus for cleaning gas cylinders of the type having an outlet at one-end thereof, a horizontally-pivoted carrier having a vertical member and a horizontal shelf at each end thereof extending from opposite sides of said vertical member, and means on the carrier for detachably securing a plurality of gas cylinders on said shelves with the outlets of the cylinders on one side of said vertical member facing in opposite direction to the cylinders on the other side thereof.

Clamping screws 19 are then ends of the cylinders and means for holding saidlocking members against movement.

5. The structure as in claim 2 wherein steam pipes are .mounted on the vertical member of said carrier at each end thereof and feeder pipes are provided for detachable connections to the cylinders.

6. A cleaning apparatus for gas cylinders of the type having domed tops with gas outlets in the domed tops, comprisin a frame, means thereon for detachably hol ing a plu rality of gas cylinders arranged in two parallel rows, said holding means maintaining one row of cylinders with their domes upright to facilitate cleaning through their gas outlets, and the other row of cylinders in reversed position for draining, said frame being pivoted about a horizontal axis to thereby invert the row of cylinders cleaned by the fluid for draining.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GUSI AVE T. REIGH. 

